Egg-crate



m Mem W. H. NELSON.

m agi Wil wifgzsses latter.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

WILLIAM H. NELSON, OF KIN GSVILLE, MISSOURI.

EGG-CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,353, dated March 9, 1897.

Application led March 3 1 1 8 9 6.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. NELSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kingsville, in the county of Johnson and State ot' Missouri, have invented a new and useful Egg-Crate, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in crates for the transportation of eggs and similar articles; and it has for its object to pro- Vvide a crate of this character which shall vbe constructed of sections, whereby such crate may be formed of a size that will be suliicient only for the exact quantity of eggs to be carried, and also to provide improved means by which the sections of the crate may be securely held together.

To these ends the invention consists, substantially, in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will hereinafter be more ful-ly illustrated, described, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of a crate constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof. Fig. 3 is atop plan view of one of the sections. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of one of the latches. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the crate. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the crate, illustrating a modification of the support for the removable bottom thereof.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the figures.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the bottom section of a crate, and 2 the lid of the Intermediate the lid and the bottom section, when desired, are placed a series of sections 3, each of which is provided at its corners with angle-plates 4. These angleplates project a slight distance below the edge of the sections to which they are applied and serve toembrace the corners of the next lower section in order to prevent movement of the same. While the angle-plates 4 are shown as applied on the outside, it will of course be understood that they may be secured at the inner corners, thus performing the same functions. y

At one end of each of the sections 3 a loop 5 is secured, which is preferably formed of steel Serial No. 585,643. (No model.)

wire, such loops being of substantially an inverted-U shape and having ytheir lower ends 6 bent atan approximate right angle to form hooks. The edge of each section immediately adjacent to the upper end of the loops 5 is provided with spaced notches 7, such notches permitting the hooks 6, secured to the section directly above, to readily enter therein and engage with the transverse portion of the upper end of the loop 5 and thereby connect the two sections together. These loops are secured to each section by any suitable fastening means, such means being illustrated as staples 8.

The end of the sections opposite to the loops 5 are provided with latches 9. Theselatches comprise a plate 10, which is secured to the section and provided with an eye ll. Hinged to such plate 10 is a hasp l2, which has a hook 13 pivoted thereto, and at a point opposite to the end of the hook 13 is an aperture 14. Thus it will be seen that when one section is placed 4 upon another the hasp 12 occupies a position over the plate 10 of the lower'section, and the aperture in such hasp receives the eye 11, through which the hook 13 is passed, thereby locking the two sections together.

The lid 2 is provided at one end with the hooks 6, which engage the loop 5 of the section immediately below such lid, and at the end opposite to the hooks 6 the latch 9 is also provided, the operation of which is precisely the same as the latches on the sections 3, thus providing a secure means for connecting the lid 2 with the section below the same. The lid 2 also has a handle 15, by which the crate may be carried. In the bottom section 1 is a stationary-bottom of the usual construction. Each `of the sections 3 is provided with supporting-rods 16, consisting of horizontal Shanks and angle ends or arms 17, which permit the main portion of the supporting-rods resting in a plane parallel with the under side of each section, thereby holding a removable bottom 18, either of pasteboard or other thin material, within shanks of thel supports from being accidentally withdrawn from the sides of the sections 3.

Fig. 6 illustrates a modification of the support for the removable bottom of the sections and comprises an angle-pin 23, a series of which is secured in each side of the sections. It is obvious that this form may be employed with equally as good results as the supporting-bars, the removable bottoms being securely held thereby. A

When it is desired to use the herein-described crate, the same is formed of a size which will hold only the exact number of eggs to be carried. This is accomplished by placing upon the bottom section l the sections 3, and when the latter have been connected together and each has been filled the lid 2 is placed upon the upper one and secured thereto by means of the hooks 6 and the latch 9. It will therefore be seen that the crate may be made of a size sufficient to contain the eggs, whether the number be large or small, and thus there will be no unoccupied space therein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new isl. In a crate, the combination of a series of sections each of which is provided with means adapted to prevent independent sliding thereof, inverted-U-shaped loops secured at one end of said sections and having their lower ends bent at an angle to form hooks, the hooks of each of said loops being adapted to enter spaced notches formed at the upper edge of the section immediately below and thereby engage with the upper end of the loop on said lower section, and latches secured to the other end of the sections and adapted, with the U- shaped loops, to lock the sections together, substantially as set forth.

2. In a crate, the combination of a series of sections, inverted-U-shaped loops secured at one end of said sections and having their lower ends forming hooks, the hooks of each of said loops being adapted to engage with the loop on the section immediately below, and latches secured to the other end of the sections, said latches comprising a securing-plate provided with an eye, a hasp hinged to said securingplate and having an aperture adapted to receive the eye of the latch on the section immediately below, and a hook pivoted to said hasp and adapted to pass through the eye of said section to secure said eye in the aperture of the hasp, said latches and the U-shaped g loops being adapted to lock the sections of the crate together, substantially as set forth.

3. In a crate, the combination of a series of sections, the substantially U shaped loops secured to the sections at one end of the crate and provided at the lterminals of their sides with hooks, the loops being arranged so that the hooks of one loop will engage the transverse portion of the adjacent loop whereby the series of sections are connected, and means for fastening the sections together at the other end of the crate, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. NELSON.

Witnesses:

Guo. U. BENNETT, T. A. GREAvEs. 

